Improvement in rotary engines



w. P. KIDDER. Rotary-Engines.

No. l33,861.

' Patented Dec. 10,1872.

AM. PHOTU-LTHUGRAFHC CQMYRDSBDRNES FRDCESS.)

shown atD, Fig.'3.,'

PATENT OFFCE WELLINGTON RKIDDER, oF NORRID EWOGK, MA NE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133.861, dated December 10, 1872.

To a whom it may camera; i

Be it known that I, WELLINGTON P. KID- DER, of N orridgewock, in the county of Somerset and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Rotary Steam-Engine; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, 'which ishereby made a part of this speciflcation, in whioha-iv. 4

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention withtcover removed; Fig. 2 is a view `of a "psegment 'of the same circle as shown in Fig. 1,`showing the valve D closed and about to `wopen; Fig; 3 is a view of the samesegment with the valve in the 'opposite Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional v' of which Fig. 1 is a plan.

` The object qx my inventionis to produce a position; and :of the eylinder l device by means of which; the power of steam i may be utilized to produ ce a direct rotary motion upon the machinery lto'be driven, and

v thereby obviating theneoessityof mechanisrn to red ce avibratory motion toa revolving or circular motion, which exists in engines' where the ordinary'cylinder and piston are used. My invention consists of a hollow eylinder, as shown inFig. 1, in which K represents the induction-port and L'the exhaust-port.

4 Through the center of this eylinder pas'ses the shaft P, which not only furnishes the bearings forthe eylinder, but from which also the power furnished may be communcated, by any of the ordinary methods, to the machinery to be driven. Within this eylinder above mention ed' is the disk B, which has the raised center, the

` said disk being provided with the valve-seat 0, oonstructed as shown, so as to permitxof the Vibration of the valve upon its pivot from the position indicated at D',-Fig. 1, to the position In order to descrihe the operationof the ure of the steam because the forward part 1- is pressed downward by the new steam,anl this presses the rear end firmly up to the cam or ledge E and thus prevents any reacting or opposing back isteam. As the disk rotates the valve begins to tip, as seen in D, Fig. 2,

until it assumes the position of D, Fig. 1. Being in this position, it takes the full force of the steam, and by that force is impelled to begin its cirouit aroundthe eylinder A, impelled by the full force of the steam, until it arrives at the point illustrated at L, which is the-exhaust-port. When past this point it is soon atfected as to position by the inclined ledge F, which, after the valve hasvpassed a small arc of the circle described'by the cylinder, operates to close the valve, or, in other words, to place it in the position indicated at D, Fig. 3. Previous to the moment in which D was closed by the ledge F, the other valve had in its turn passed the indnction-port K and taken on steam, so that for a portion of the circle or rotation of the disk .both Valves are Operating to impel the shaft P conj ointly. The circuit of the eylinder A being thus again made by the disk B, as hereinbefore described, the second-named valve, D, now presents itself to or opposite to the induotion-port K. The valve is now again thrown into Operating po sition by the steam in the manner following, viz: Pressing-upon the whole faceof the valve as it lies flat, as is shown at D,Fig. 3, the steam at the same time passes under the re'ar end 1 of the valve, and so counterbalancing the force of the pressure otherwise equal over the whole face of the valve, it is instantly thrown up into Operating position, or, as I term it, it is opened To prevent thetoo foroible opening of the valve at this moment, I have so arranged the 'valve-seat O as to provide 'a compressed-air cushion for the valve whennearly open, but not till the upper or outer end of the valve has touched the inner periphery of the eylinder. A port is provided for the exit of the air over the valve-seat until suchtime as itj may .be required for the above purpose. Any steam escaping from the inner-rotating eylinder can be led to the exhaust-valve or any other convenient point 'for escape. The ends of the valves may be made broad, so that the contact and steam-joint may be perfect at a time before the valve is entirely opened.

I am aware of the application of N. Haskell, withdrawn April 19, 1850, for a rotary engine, and I do not claim the combination shown therein. The manner of operation of the valves is different from my invention, particularly as to the opening of the same. The usebf the steam and a-ir to' cushion the valve and prevent slamming is not found in the reference. The whole interior structure of the Haskell engine is very dfierent from mine.

I do not claim, broadly, the rotary engine with the interier circle caused to revolve by the entrance of thesteam against the valves;

but my invention nvolves merely the combi nation set forth in the claim.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The comb'ination and arrangenent, in a rotary engine,`of the case A with ports K' L and cam F, the revolving wheel B provided with pivoted valves D D' and. ports J, constructed substantially as shown, and for the purpose WELLNGTON P. KIDDER.

witnesses:

WM. H. CLIFFORD, D. W. VSCRENER. 

